Akwa Ibom State Governor, Godswill Akpabio, has charged ExxonMobil’s host communities to withdraw impending court cases to enable the company execute special community projects in their areas.
Akpabio, who gave the charge Thursday when the Chairman/Managing and Lead Country Manager of ExxonMobil Companies in Nigeria, Mr. Nolan O’Neal, paid him a courtesy visit at Governor’s Office, Uyo, noted, “I thank you for the assurance that I should pass to the people of the state that the special community projects that we had negotiated and agreed upon, that you finally received leadership approval and the money is ready to start the project.
“But what is impeding the projects is that some of the communities went to court and there are about 14 cases pending in the courts. I think it is in the interest of those communities affected to immediately withdraw those cases from courts to allow contractors to be mobilised to site and commence meaningful projects in the areas.”
He explained that if those projects are not executed as and when due, the communities involved would be at the losing end, considering the bureaucratic procedure involved in getting approval for such projects.
Akpabio directed the Commissioners for Health, Housing and Urban Renewal, Environment, Culture and Tourism as well as Special Adviser on Labour and Productivity to work with the Secretary to the State Government in persuading those communities to withdraw the cases from courts to ensure amicable settlement within one week to enable Mobil to execute the meaningful development projects in the communities.
O’Neal, thanked the Governor for the warm hospitality extended to him and his company, describing Akwa Ibom as fantastic place to do business.
